


Restless

by tatooedlaura



Series: Life, Part 2 [34]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 18:51:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: Mulder stood immediately, “God, no, Walter. Let’s go have a hot fudge sundae and pretend it’s the 1950s.”





	Restless

“Mulder, you’ve gotta get me out of here.”

On his way home, he had to smile, hearing that oft-experienced whiney begging in her voice clearly through the phone, “walls closing in?”

Looking at them, wondering idly if they actually were a little closer, “yes, very quickly. Can we go someplace when you get home? I don’t care where, just anywhere that’s not here.”

 

It had been a very long two days and Scully, normally able to relax and enjoy her alone time, was climbing the furniture, forced solitary not exactly her forte. Still dizzy from the effects of the anesthetic, she opted to not operate a motor vehicle, waiting impatiently for the world to stand still when she moved.

Almost there.

But not quite stable enough to drive a car.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Mom’s, maybe? Even just up to a McDonalds or something?”

“Agent Dana Scully is suggesting Chicken Nuggets for dinner? Are you sure they didn’t pop out a little bit of that frontal lobe while they were in there?”

“Drive faster, Mulder.”

&&&&&&&&&&

Chicken Nuggets purchased and shared, they headed towards Maggie, bringing hot fudge sundaes and milkshakes to store in the freezer. Without pretense of knocking, they barged in, having done it for so long that neither thought anything of it.

And Scully stopped dead.

And Mulder ran into the back of her.

And she fell down.

But Skinner caught her.

&&&&&&&&&&&

“Hey, hey, you okay?”

Both Mulder and Skinner were attempting to help her up, steadying her with hands on shoulder, arm and elbow, Mulder trying desperately not to drop the desserts, “Walter?”

“The one and only.” Once she was upright and stable, he backed up, “did we know you were coming over tonight?”

Scully turned and left, the front screen closing behind her with a 20-year in need of oil uneven bang that left Skinner staring at Mulder, the younger man working logistics in his head at rapid fire pace, “we?”

The towering Marine almost looked embarrassed but his semi-proud niggling of a grin beat that awkwardness to a pulp, “we really should have said something earlier apparently.”

Logistics came to a foregone conclusion, “can I still call you Walter or would Dad be more appropriate?”

Hand moving over balding head, “I didn’t even think about that.”

Seriously, the shock wearing off left Mulder amused as all hell, eyebrows wiggling as he reached in to shake Skinner’s drawing back hand, “welcome to the family, Walter. Don’t let either of them get hangry or you could very well lose a limb.”

“Word of warning?”

“Sage advice.” Glancing between kitchen and Scully’s back where she sat on the front stoop, “where’s Maggie?”

“Went down to Betty’s for a minute … something about Punch additives … I didn’t understand but didn’t question.”

Pointing his way out the front door, “then I’m going to go see how Scully #2 is processing.”

“Should I come?”

Serious debate in three seconds, “give me a minute to scope it out. I’ll yell for you if she goes nuts.”

&&&&&&&&&

She did not go nuts.

&&&&&&&&&

Settling next to her, scooting in close, hands clasped, elbows on his knees, “so, that was a fairly surprising plot twist.”

“Oddly, it really shouldn’t have been, if you think about it for a minute.”

“I’d prefer not to think about it at all.” There’s the smile he was hoping for and sliding his hand under her shirt to rub her back, “you okay?”

Propping her head on her hand, she twisted it to look at him, “it has never occurred to me, not even once, that my mother might want someone besides my dad. It’s just … can you imagine how you’d feel if you actually, and don’t argue the semantics of this, came across an honest to God alien, just sitting there, in your living room? That’s akin to what I think I’m feeling now and it’s just … it’s … it’s really fucking weird and unsettling but not weird or unsettling at all,” dropping her head forward, then lifting it immediately, wincing at the sudden pressure in her nose, “when did I fall down the rabbit hole?”

Mulder moved his hand to the opposite side of her face, pulling her head gently towards him until he ran her temple into his lips, talking into her skin, amused confusion filling his voice, “I think we need hot fudge.”

Covering his hand with hers, pressing her face a little harder against him, “in a minute.”

Before they left the porch, Maggie appeared, pausing as she rounded the car then moving slower up the walk to stop in front of them, “was I expecting you?”

Scully swallowed lightly, staying against Mulder, “nope and neither was Walter.”

Maggie, arms shifting to cross in front of her, loose and non-confrontational yet prepared for battle should it come to that, “ah, yes, Walter.”

And then Scully dropped the bomb to end all bombs on her mother’s front lawn, “if he gets you pregnant, I’ll kill him.”

Maggie’s arms came down and she leaned forward, sudden laughter catching her, a snort escaping across the ten feet between mother and daughter. Mulder immediately moved, twisting Scully around, “don’t laugh! Don’t! You’ll bleed everywhere and get another headache!”

Keeping herself in check, she waited until Maggie could draw a complete breath before, “I swear to God, Ma, I’m not kidding. If I have to have a little brother who is almost 30 years younger than me, I’ll be thoroughly pissed.”

Walter, statue behind the screen door until now, spoke across them all, “do you really want to be discussing this on the front lawn?”

Mulder stood immediately, “God, no, Walter. Let’s go have a hot fudge sundae and pretend it’s the 1950s.”

&&&&&&&&&

Later that night, Mulder was back on the couch with Scully curled up against his chest, “so, now that we have spent two hours with MaggieNWalter, which is what I’m now calling them because, well, I can,” playing with a piece of her hair, lifting it, letting it fall, repeating in slow motion, “how do you honestly feel about this whole thing?”

Nestled warm, cuddled up, content, she strung a few coherent thoughts together and answered truthfully, “I won’t call him ‘dad’ but MomNWalter has a nice ring to it.”

“Can I call him ‘dad’?”

Sliding hand down jeaned thigh and tucking her fingers under his ass, “only when we’re at work.”


End file.
